KILLINGTON — The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is investigating the death of a bear found outside a Killington home.

Wade Collins, who lives on Anthony Way, said he found the animal Sunday morning after looking for the source of a foul smell in his backyard.

“I found a big black bear dead in my yard,” he said Tuesday. “It’s too bad. We like to see them alive.”

Collins said he contacted Fish & Wildlife, which sent a warden to check the scene.

Collins said the bear might have made it to his back yard after being shot nearby. It’s not unusual for bears to rummage through trash cans in the area, he said.

“It’s just part of living in this area,” Collins said. “Secure your trash can lids and you’ll be fine.”

Nicole Kesselring, a former Killington resident, said it’s sad that a bear died for getting into someone’s garbage. But she also said the shooting posed a major safety concern because of the surrounding homes.

“It’s a residential area; if the bear was shot, someone could have been hurt,” she said.

Game Warden Timothy Carey said he visited the place where the bear was found, but not much information is available yet.

“At this point, we can’t confirm anything other than a dead bear being found in that neighborhood,” he said. “We’re just now starting to look into it.”